NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A fascinating portrait of life as a Chinese American woman in the 1930s and ’40s.”—The New York Times Book Review “Superb . . . This emotional, informative and brilliant page-turner resonates with resilience and humanity.”—The Washington Post (One of the Best Books of the Year) San Francisco, 1938: A world’s fair is preparing to open on Treasure Island, a war is … world’s fair is preparing to open on Treasure Island, a war is brewing overseas, and the city is alive with possibilities. Talented Grace, traditional Helen, and defiant Ruby, three young women from very different backgrounds, meet by chance at the exclusive and glamorous Forbidden City nightclub. The girls become fast friends, relying on one another through unexpected challenges and shifting fortunes. When their dark secrets are exposed and the invisible thread of fate binds them even tighter, they find the strength and resilience to reach for their dreams. But after the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, paranoia and suspicion threaten to destroy their lives, and a shocking act of betrayal changes everything.
Praise for China Dolls
“A sweeping, turbulent tale of passion, friendship, good fortune, bad fortune, perfidy and the hope of reconciliation.”—Los Angeles Times
“Bravo! Here’s a roaring standing ovation for this heartwarming journey into the glittering golden age of Chinese nightclubs.”—Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
“Lisa See masterfully creates unforgettable characters that linger in your memory long after you close the pages.”—Bookreporter
“Stellar . . . The depth of See’s characters and her winning prose make this book a wonderful journey through love and loss.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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I just devour anything written by Lisa See and this was no exception. I can’t put her books down and learn something new everytime I read one.
I really enjoyed this book! The characters were realistic and amazingly heart warming. The plot twists were and realistic. I enjoyed that the fictitious characters were set in real historic events. Great read 100%!!
Love Lisa See – her use of historical fiction is so wonderful. She takes a specific place and time period and creates these realistic characters and really shows you what life was like for Chinese people throughout history. This particular novel takes place during WWII in San Francisco. Loved this book.
I enjoy all of Lisa See’s novels. This one is part of a series. I knew nothing of Chinese culture or history before I began reading her novels. Now I watch for anew one to come out. She is a wonderful writer in several genre’s. This one is one of the more modern romantic books but still fascinating regarding the treatment of women in China and the transition between the cultural changes during and after the communist takeover. Most Americans can’t imagine the difficulties women endure in outher cultures. This and books like the Kite Runner are so mind broadening. I hope they are beineg taught in universities for their style, honesty and historical significance.
I love this author and all her books. I have learned alot about asian women and their history!
While I’m generally a fan of Lisa See, this is not one of my favorites.
CHINA DOLLS follows the story of three young “Chinese” women who become friends, beginning in 1938 until 1988. The ups and downs of their show business careers provide one theme of the book and I learned a lot about Chinese nightclubs, especially those in San Francisco before and during World War II. To me, however, this was not that interesting.
What did fascinate me was the descriptions of how Asian Americans were treated during World War II.
• How most Asians were lumped together, regardless of nationality, and subjected to discrimination.
• What it was like for American citizens of Japanese descent to be yanked out of their lives and sent to internment camps.
• And how ruthlessly the government persecuted innocent, but suspected Japanese sympathizers. (Reminiscent of post 9/11 treatment of Muslims)
As for why I only gave this 3 stars — it’s because of the portrayal of the friendship among the three women. Over the decades, despite what is described as a close and intense friendship, these women subject each other to petty jealousies, humiliations, lies, and manipulations. The friendship simply didn’t ring true to me given these deceitful behaviors. Lisa See’s unflattering portrait of friendship among women seemed to foster stereotypes of women as self-absorbed, spiteful, and selfish. And that simply hasn’t been my experience with other women.
Love love LOVE!!!!!
Wonderful read!!!
Loved the detailed characterizations
An eye-opener on conditions Chinese faced in San Francisco during the Exposition and the war to keep body and soul together.
I enjoyed the three characters and their different stories through the years. Good character development with interesting background.
A good look at another culture and the issues/problems etc., of Chinese families during and after WWII. And an entertaining read.
Lisa See at her best!
I have loved all her books. They are well-researched and the characters really draw you into the story. While it seems they do not quite fit together as friends, that’s part of the story and the place, isn’t it? How do they make it work?
Was on a vacation and it was good bedtime reading well written and kept my interest going. Good story.
Very old world. I didn’t want to put it down.
Lisa See continues to provide wonderful insights into the Chinese-American immigration experience. China Dolls is a compelling, informative read with characters you will enjoy and at some point identify with, regardless of your ethnicity. I began reading her detective series after a confining surgery and now eagerly wait for each new book from Ms. See. She is a brilliant author who defies the limits of a single drama genre.
Lisa See is a favorite author. Characters come to life and draw you into the story!
A disappointment. I’ve enjoyed all of Lisa See’s books but this one was disjointed and never did come together.
Loved this book, especially that I learned about a time in history that I didn’t know much about. Great story of three friends, I also really liked how it took place in San Francisco and I recognized a lot of the places mentioned (big shoutout to the Sebastopol mention too!). I didn’t know much about the Japanese internment camps, and while the book didn’t go into great detail about them, it has piqued my interest and I’ve done a bit of research. I’d highly recommend this book. I didn’t find it to be a fast read, maybe because I was reading a hardcover and I’ve gotten so used to reading on my e-reader at night and my book light needs a new battery! Lame, I know.